12.8 cm Flak 40 Anti-Aircraft Gun

[daviddunlop]

Good evening.

This German Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun was introduced in the early 1940's, with a view of eventually replacing the better known 8.8 cm Gun. It could apparently fire a much heavier projectile a lot farther and with a muzzle velocity one third faster than the 8.8 cm. It's effective altitude was apparently 35,000 feet. The Carriage for it was very heavy, so the guns did not transport well. The 12.8 was used primarily at a fixed site or a semi fixed site. These 12.8 cm Flak 40's appear to have been the main armament on the three Berlin Flak Towers and in the latter stages of the Battle for Berlin, were employed as 'field artillery' against the encroaching Red Army very effectively.

It would be interesting to know if the German military ever gave thought to using the 12.8 cm Flak 40 as a tank or anti-tank gun. I suspect today, it could have been at par with the popular 12.0 cm gun used on several main battle tanks.


David

[Woz]

The JagdTiger used a 128mm gun.